United States Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. came out swinging in August of 2025 after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) introduced its own childhood vaccine schedule for use by doctors across America instead of continuing to promote the schedule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Earlier in the year, the CDC had curtailed its childhood vaccination schedule, bringing it more in line with those of many other countries.
Pointing to pharmaceutical companies Merk, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sanofi as top donors to AAP, Kennedy noted: “These four companies make virtually every vaccine on the CDC recommended childhood vaccine schedule.” Further, Kennedy brought up the concern of “whether the AAP’s recommendations reflect public health interest, or are, perhaps, just a pay-to-play scheme to promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been pursuing an investigation that addresses similar concern about potential financial influence behind AAP’s pushing of an expanded childhood vaccine schedule. In a Wednesday press release, Paxton noted that the investigation has indicated that “the amount of influence that the AAP has over the entire childhood medical industry has become undeniable.” The press release also mentioned that Paxton “has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) to the AAP to determine the basis of AAP’s vaccine recommendations and how that affects the broader landscape of childhood vaccine recommendations.”
Echoing the comments last year from Kennedy, Paxton’s press release noted that “the AAP’s top corporate donors are pharmaceutical companies that would suffer financially from a reduced number of vaccines being recommended on the CDC’s revised schedule.” And, making the nature of Paxton’s concern clear, the press release quoted him as follows:
‘Parents deserve vaccine recommendations that are driven by science and the best interests of their children, not by financial gains or bribes from Big Pharma,’ said Attorney General Paxton. ‘My office will fight to protect kids’ health and uphold transparency in the medical industry alongside President Trump and Secretary Kennedy. If the American Academy of Pediatrics is giving medical guidance that is fueled by financial incentives, we will expose and put an end to this unlawful behavior.’
We’ll see what happens with Paxton’s ongoing investigation. In the meantime, parents should consider that, as suggested by Kennedy and Paxton, their children’s doctors may be influenced by AAP recommendations that are guided more by advancing the profits of pharmaceutical companies than by promoting health.
Reprinted with permission from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.